“Loving”
Director: Jeff Nichols
Synopsis: The true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple whose long battle to have their marriage recognised in their home state led to a landmark Civil Rights decision.
What You Need To Know: With “Midnight Special” (which we really admired ) already gone from theaters, it’s a good time to be a Jeff Nichols fan, as his second 2016 title “Loving” preps for its Cannes Competition bow. And of the two, it feels like the more obvious choice for Cannes —it’s a historical drama, without the genre sci-fi trappings of his last film, and with subject matter that’s topical with respect to both racial and marriage equality. Mostly, as Joel Edgerton (who stars alongside Irish/Ethiopian actress Ruth Negga) told us, it’s a love story, with Nichols’ quiet, thoughtful and sincere style apparently delivering a film that’s far more personal, historically accurate and far less formulaic than the average worthy historical biopic. Which is a good thing, because that genre is the worst. Also featuring Nichols regular Michael Shannon in a supporting role, this will be the director’s second film In Competition after 2012’s “Mud” (“Take Shelter” played and won in Critics’ Week in 2011), and we couldn’t be looking forward to it more.
“Money Monster”
Director: Jodie Foster
Synopsis: The host of a famous shock-jock-style financial TV show is held at gunpoint live on air by a disgruntled viewer who blames him for the loss of his life savings.
What You Need To Know: Foster has been honored at Cannes before, and has been on the Croisette as an actress dating all the way back to her breakout role in 1976 with “Taxi Driver,” which won the Palme d’Or (she was 13 at time of the festival that year). But “Money Monster,” which plays Out of Competition, will be her first directorial feature to gain a Cannes bow. A lot of that is no doubt down to its starry, red carpet friendly cast: beyond even Foster herself, Hollywood royalty George Clooney and Julia Roberts star (remarkably, this will be Roberts’ first time presenting a movie in Cannes at all). Largely a three-hander between Clooney as a Jim Cramer-esque TV personality, Roberts as his producer and Jack O’Connell as the blue-collar gunman who lost his life savings, the thriller should play to the strengths of Foster’s subdued, intelligent style and hopefully will deliver a hefty dose of media satire along with its morality play aspects. Either way, this is one Cannes title you won’t be waiting long to be able to check out yourselves: it’s released stateside May 13th.
“The Neon Demon”
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Synopsis: An aspiring model moves to LA, only to find her beauty is coveted by a group of youth-obsessed women who will go to sinister lengths to consume her vitality for themselves.
What You Need To Know: Sounding a bit like “The Hunger” meets “Death Becomes Her” and starring a splashily fabulous cast including the terrific Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, current comeback king Keanu Reeves, Jena Malone and Bella Heathcote, there had been some question over whether “The Neon Demon” would be relegated to an out-of-competition, Midnight Madness-style gala slot rather than play in the main show. In the event, it scored a competition slot, something the distinctly mixed reception toward Refn’s last film “Only God Forgives” had perhaps made a dicier prospect despite his Best Director win previously for “Drive” (we couldn’t help but notice that festival director Thierry Fremaux announced this title dead last as though he was enjoying making us all sweat). But it’s In Competition, the trailer looks typically sleazily beautiful, and Refn is one of those rare directors whose films we either love or love being pissed off by, so we’re certainly excited to see him swagger back to the Croisette this year.
“Neruda”
Director: Pablo Larrain
Synopsis: After Nobel Prize-winning Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda becomes a fugitive in his own country on account of his Communist affiliations, a dogged policeman resolves to track him down.
What You Need To Know: “Jackie,” Larrain’s English-language debut and first American film comes later this year — it stars Natalie Portman and details Jackie O’s life in the days following the assassination of JFK. And his excellent, Berlin Silver Bear-winning “The Club” was released in February. Here, sandwiched in between as though to cement 2016 as a banner year for the exceptional Chilean filmmaker, he reunites with “No” star Gael Garcia Bernal, as well as with many of his regulars like Antonia Zegers, Francisco Reyes and Alfredo Castro, for this story of Chilean national icon Neruda during one of the nation’s most turbulent periods. The only surprise is that, given Larrain’s rising profile, “Neruda” didn’t win a promotion out of Directors’ Fortnight (where he played once before with “No”), but with the main slate so overcrowded, the Quinzaine sidebar is probably a better home for the film, as in recent years it’s often there, rather than in Un Certain Regard, that the real non-Competition gems are to be found.
“The Nice Guys”
Director: Shane Black
Synopsis: In ’70s L.A, a private eye and a hired muscle team up to find a missing girl, and uncover a criminal conspiracy.
What You Need To Know: Number one with a bullet (or a hail thereof) on our Most Anticipated Films of the Summer list, the latest film from screenwriter turned director Black was always going to be on our Cannes list. Indeed, this year’s lineup is an embarrassment of riches, partly because not only are there oodles of cinephile-approved auteur premieres, but there’s also a gala slot for one of the most enticing Hollywood prospects of the year. Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer and Margaret Qualley, this film sees Black, after his massive success with “Iron Man 3,” return to the buddy-action-comedy genre he essentially pioneered with the screenplay for “Lethal Weapon” and then delivered a meta-twist on as writer/director of the terrific “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” The trailers look quippy and slick (we especially like this retro-styled one), with the ’70s setting delivering a twist on the formula and Crowe especially seeming like he’s having a blast, so if we had to bet on one film taking the “Mad Max: Fury Road” crown for Most Genre Fun Had During Cannes, this would be it.
